Hard News: The new wave
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You can't really use the "we get bigger storm tides than that" argument when it comes to these types of phenomena..... it's showing a bit more on the geonet gauges now so looks like intial wave arrival times were a bit out.
I was thinking much the same thing - the danger with Tsunami isn't how big the waves are, it's how unexpected they are, and how easily underestimated. 1m of surging water is plenty to drag people off their feet, bash them with debris, pin them under things, or drown them in confined spaces.
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The other thing to watch for is the next high tide.
I remember a big shake off Tonga just after Xmas in the late 70s. Camping grounds got evacuated etc but nothing eventuated.
But the next high tide did a huge amount of damage (those coastal property values...)
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A S,
Slightly disconcerting bit...
The Tsunami gauges on Raoul Island don't seem to be providing updated info. Fingers crossed it is only a technical hitch with the geonet site...
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Ah. There really might be another one coming, as the GeoNet graph suggests ...
Tide gauges had measured a wave of 40cm on the East Cape and 25-30cm on the North Cape.
"However it is not certain whether this is the largest wave that will impact New Zealand," the ministry said.
"Our advice is that larger waves can be expected to arrive in the next hour. These are unlikely to be larger than 1m."
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The Tsunami gauges on Raoul Island don't seem to be providing updated info. Fingers crossed it is only a technical hitch with the geonet site...
It's done that a few times, dropping out for a few minutes, then coming back on the next refresh. That seems to hint that the data is being delayed somehow, but that the guages are still recording.
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Apparently Michael Laws is launching a petition for the T to be taken out of tsunami
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A S,
It's done that a few times, dropping out for a few minutes, then coming back on the next refresh. That seems to hint that the data is being delayed somehow, but that the guages are still recording.
Quite probably, but it is still just a wee bit disconcerting when your early warning gauges appear to stop reporting data for around half of the time it would take for any damaging waves to arrive on your doorstep :D
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What's wrong with the good old fashioned English phrase Tidal Wave anyway? It's no more inaccurate than a Mexican Wave or a Brain Wave.
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Video from Tutukaka. Posted on twitter about 1:55pm
Personally I'd be running, not videoing.
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I wrote too soon: nothing from Raoul Island for about an hour.
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Maybe Civil Defence weren't accounting for daylight saving? Stranger things have happened...
My partner's sister-in-law just texted from Samoa. They think over 100 have died. It is very tragic.. -
Hopefully that doesn't mean Raoul is 20 feet underwater right now so the signals can't get out...
That Tutukaka vid is pretty neat, although I have seen similar flows in estuaries at any half-tide. The problem is, if that is right now, the tide should be coming in.
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Personally I'd be running, not videoing.
That's some good ol' koiwoi stoicism there.
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And it's now coming in on top of a high tide?
That Tutukaka video is crazy. "Ohmygod, thus us massuve!" Like Ben, I'd be thinking of the headline over here and hoofing it.
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Ah. There really might be another one coming
And reading the linked story I see this gem...
Deputy Prime Minister Bill English was returning to Wellington from his home in Dipton to deal with the situation. He was expected to update media this afternoon.
I know acts of nature prompt freaky behaviour (see Tutukaka video) but really, this takes the cake.
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Fullers has cancelled all ferry sailings in the Hauraki Gulf from noon to 1.30pm (http://www.fullers.co.nz/news-events/travel-notices.php)
They have a nominal txt alert system in place but only those that registered for the "off peak" got them this morning. Obviously rush hour commuters can just ride the waves.
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If the tide goes out far enough they could just walk home.
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Very very quickly.
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This is the real issue isn't it?
Abso-fucken-lutely.
Quietly amazed about how people continue to go on about strong outflows in Tutukaka when 40 people just got killed. -
(OK, its not the Tutukaka thing, which is actually an interesting take, but still...)
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Te Papa is very crowded today being a wet day in the school holidays. Awesome Forces section particularly busy with people examining the giant tectonic plate globe. Great that it is all free. The conference rooms have harbour views but no sloshing bowl effects to be seen, fortunately.
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At least 40. I recall the way the death toll in 2004 continued to mount for several days afterwards - the first I heard it was somewhere around 25,000 people, by the end it was well over 200,000.
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Dilworth's endowment is enormous
Phnaar, phnaar. Although I did hear that all the money came from the inventor of the near-eponymous sex aid.
BTW, water levels in downtown Wellington haven't gone over one or two centimetres as yet.
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Science Media Centre: First major test of NZ tsunami gauge network
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At least 40. I recall the way the death toll in 2004 continued to mount for several days afterwards - the first I heard it was somewhere around 25,000 people, by the end it was well over 200,000.
Remembering that Indonesia is one of the most-populated nations on the planet and was but one of a dozen countries affected, whereas the combined populations of American Samoa and Samoa would put them in distant third place for largest cities in the Auckland Region. The rehabilitation of communities from the '04 tsunami is still going on, too.
You're right that the final death toll will grow for a while yet, but it's unlikely to grow ten-fold. Samoa was fortunate in that the changeover from driving on the right to the left has meant the widespread deployment of police officers across the islands, so evacuation could be handled promptly.
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